A Somali journalist is being interviewed. Top news of the day | Friday: Gaza, Ukraine, floods in Africa, press freedom UN
The main news of the day in the UN and in the world: the attack on Rafah will worsen the crisis in Gaza, casualties among children in the Kharkov region, floods in East Africa, World Press Freedom Day.
Victims in Ukraine
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports civilian casualties, including children, in the Kharkov region as a result of an airstrike on a sports center. There are also reports of injuries and deaths in the Donetsk region, where residential buildings were struck. The number of child victims in Ukraine continues to rise. According to UNICEF, 25 children died in the first quarter of 2024. This is a 40 percent increase over the same period last year.
Gaza crisis
Israel’s military operation in Rafah could turn into a “massacre” and undermine humanitarian work, OCHA warns. The World Health Organization (WHO), in turn, said that specific humanitarian action plans had been developed in the event of a full-scale military invasion, but these measures would not be enough to prevent the worsening of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. According to the WHO, only 12 of 36 hospitals in Gaza and 22 of 88 primary health care facilities are “partially functioning.”
Floods in Africa
The UN is working with partners to support authorities in East Africa, where heavy rains and floods have reportedly claimed lives since March more than 350 people. Heavy rains may intensify with the arrival of tropical cyclone Hidaya, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warned on Friday. The situation is particularly difficult in Tanzania, with more than 200,000 refugees affected. In Kenya, almost 20 thousand people from the Dadaab refugee camp were forced to leave its territory. Meanwhile, in Burundi, about 32 thousand refugees live in areas affected by floods. Somalia also suffered.
Environmental journalism
The world is facing an unprecedented environmental crisis, and journalists play a critical role in educating the public on climate change and pollution. UN chief Antonio Guterres announced this on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. This year it focuses on the role of journalism and free expression in the context of the environmental crisis. According to UNESCO, in the last 15 years there have been about 750 attacks on journalists and news outlets covering environmental issues. Legal processes are then used to increase censorship and persecution of media workers.